Steamer Trunk Adventures
by astraplain
Summary: Kurt has wanted a vintage steamer trunk for a long time.
1. Chapter 1

Burt Hummel had arrived home to any number of surprises over the years, but the sight of Blaine chasing Kurt while brandishing a large gold gift bow had to rank somewhere near the top. Kurt had on a fancy frock coat like Burt had seen in old movies, and Blaine was wearing a cloak. A huge old steamer trunk was open in the center of the room, and the coffee table was shoved into a corner.

As he watched, Blaine caught up to Kurt, wrapping one arm around him while sticking the bow into Kurt's hair. Burt winced knowing that shouting – or kissing – was soon to follow. He didn't particularly care to witness either.

"There you are," Carole greeted him cheerfully, giving him a knowing look as he entered the kitchen from the hallway rather than by his usual route. "Blaine's here."

"I saw." Burt leaned in for a quick kiss, definitely not thinking about the lack of shouting in the living room. When he pulled back from Carole, he noticed there were five place settings ready to be carried to the table.

"Don't think of it as Kurt having a boyfriend. Think of it as another teenage boy to feed," Carole teased as she handed him two of the settings and gathered the rest herself.

"Compared to our grocery bills, college tuition will seem like a bargain," Burt replied dryly, setting the plates and silverware in their places. There was a burst of laughter from the other room and Burt decided it was safe to peek in. The boys were kneeling side by side in front of the trunk, heads together as they examined something too small for Burt to see.

"What's with the trunk?" he asked Carole when he rejoined her in the kitchen.

"It was a gift. Blaine surprised Kurt with it this afternoon." Carole gestured toward two wine glasses and a can of diet coke near the sink. "No flowers; apparently he spent all his money on the trunk."

"Kurt has wanted one of those for a long time," Burt confided.

"I gathered that. I thought the windows were going to shatter when he saw it. He and Blaine have been playing dress up all afternoon." She paused before grinning wickedly and adding, "among other things."

Burt laughed and shook his head, gathering her up in his arms. They indulged in a little kissing of their own until the oven timer interrupted them.

Fifteen minutes later, they all sat down to dinner, Blaine in his cloak and Kurt in his fancy coat, the gift bow half-tucked into the breast pocket. Kurt's hair was mussed, and even Finn could tell they had been kissing, but they were so happy, and their eyes were so bright that Burt didn't say a word.


	2. Chapter 2

"This thing's got to be filled with bricks!" Finn insisted as he helped Blaine haul a large, heavy trunk out of Blaine's car and into the house. Blaine just gave him an apologetic look and kept moving.

It was tricky getting it through the front door, and there was a near miss when turning into the living room, but finally it was settled on the floor. Blaine collapsed onto the sofa with a grateful sigh while Finn stretched out full length on the carpet and gasped.

"It looks like you both could use a drink." Carole carried a tray with cans of sodas and a plate of cookies into the room and set it down on the coffee table. Between it, the trunk, and Finn, there wasn't a lot of room to walk, so she took the nearest chair. "So is this the big surprise?" she leaned forward and ran her hand along the edge of the trunk. It was dark brown and had an assortment of colorful stamps from various ports around the world. "Kurt's going to love this."

"I hope so," Blaine replied, eyes bright and his cheeks still flushed with exertion. He looked down at the large trunk, trying to see it through Kurt's eyes. Blaine had a fondness for certain old-fashioned things, including steamer trunks, but Kurt loved them, and the romantic images they evoked. He and Blaine had spent more than one afternoon spinning fanciful tales of two young men traveling the globe in a time before airplanes and computers.

"So what's in this thing?" Finn poked at the trunk without bothering to get up.

"I don't know," Blaine confessed, looking a little embarrassed. "The woman I bought it from didn't have a key. She said she had found it in the attic when she was cleaning out her great-aunt's house." He leaned forward and rested his hand on top of the trunk. "I thought Kurt might want to be the one to open it."

Carole drank her soda slowly, watching Blaine as he traced the edges of one of the stamps. He was smiling to himself and seemed far away. She turned her attention to the trunk itself. It was in good condition over all, considering its obvious age, but there were dull spots and some dust along the edges of the metal fittings

"Finn," Carole tapped her son's arm with her foot. "Help me move the coffee table into the corner so there will be room to open the trunk."

Finn hauled himself up with an exaggerated groan, earning a mock punch from his mom. Blaine hopped up and insisted on taking Carole's place so she went off to get some dust rags. Later, she'd help Kurt with the heavy cleaning once he'd researched the proper cleaning products to use.

She was on her way back to the living room with the rags when she had a flash of inspiration. She took a quick diversion to the basement and emerged triumphant with a shiny gold gift bow.

"The finishing touch," she said as she presented the bow to Blaine. He thanked her gratefully while Finn laughed. They each took a rag and started dusting.

"Too bad you didn't get flowers, too," Finn said as he stood back and studied the trunk, now with the gold bow on top. "You'd be covered for months." He sounded almost envious and Blaine and Carole laughed; Finn's last attempt to buy a gift for Rachel had been a disaster.

"I sort of blew the budget on the trunk," Blaine admitted as he traced an idle pattern along the edge of the trunk with the dust rag.

"Well I don't have any flowers to contribute," Carole said, "but I do have some special occasion stemware. You can have your diet coke in that tonight at dinner."

"Thanks, Carole," Blaine moved to give her a hug, but froze when he heard the distinctive sound of Kurt's car pulling into the garage.

"You're welcome, sweetie," Carole said as she quickly gathered up the dust rags and herded Finn out of the room. They retreated to the kitchen, leaving Blaine in the living room, anxiously waiting for Kurt.

The trunk was a pretty nice gift, if you liked that kind of thing, Finn decided as he foraged for snacks. He was reaching for some leftover pizza when Kurt squealed so loudly that Finn almost fell into the fridge.


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine was having a great day. Not only had he gotten out of rehearsal early enough to stop at Kurt's favorite thrift shop, but he'd found the perfect gift, and he hadn't even gone into the store.

There had been only one other car in the store's parking lot and he'd barely noticed it until the car's owner had let out a cry of dismay. She was a small woman, older than Blaine's mother and not nearly strong enough to handle the huge steamer trunk she was trying to wrestle out of her car by herself.

He'd offered to help, and together they'd managed to get the trunk out of the back seat and around to the back where they balanced it on the bumper while they rested.

Blaine couldn't help but admire the trunk; it was worn, but appeared to be in good condition with a colorful assortment of stamps from around the world decorating its top and sides. He couldn't help but think that Kurt would love it, even if the woman had no idea what it held. A lost key wasn't much of a problem, was it?

And that was when inspiration struck. He felt a little awkward asking the woman if she intended to sell the trunk, and even moreso when she confessed that she had no idea how much to charge. In the end it was the contents of his wallet that settled the matter; it probably wasn't enough for such a nice steamer trunk, but it was all he had, and she seemed content.

He had backed his car up to hers and it was much easier work to transfer it to the back of his SUV than it had been to take it out of her Camry. They'd thanked each other again and he left, placing a quick call to Finn on the way.

Thankfully, Kurt was still out with Mercedes. It gave Blaine enough time to get to Kurt's house and have Finn help him carry the trunk inside. Finn would probably complain, but he'd still help.

He drove the rest of the way to Kurt's house with a big smile, singing along to every song on the radio, even the commercials.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm late! I'm sorry," Kurt apologized as he rushed through the house towards the living room where he knew Blaine would be waiting. Blaine stepped forward to meet him, bracing himself for a greeting that half-resembled a tackle.

There was a moment of quiet while they kissed, and then Kurt pulled back a little, ready to share his afternoon of adventures with Mercedes. The words died in his throat.

"What… is… that?" his voice rose in pitch on the last word turning into a sound that threatened to shatter glass, but Blaine didn't even wince.

"Surprise," Blaine pulled Kurt close and breathed the word softly against his cheek. He held on, sharing Kurt's excitement and joy. Then he let go, watching as Kurt dropped to his knees, hands out and hovering over the trunk as if sensing it before allowing himself to touch.

"Oh. My…" he turned and reached up for Blaine, pulling him down to kneel beside him, uncaring for the moment about their clothing. His fingers danced lightly over the bow and he gave Blaine a look for that before tracing lightly over the metal fittings, the dark exterior, and finally, the latches and the lock.

"There's no key," Blaine told him apologetically. "I thought your dad might have something that could be used to open it."

"I've got something better," Kurt insisted, hopping up. "I'll be right back," he called, already racing out of the room. Blaine sat back, getting comfortable as he listened to Kurt run up the stairs and into his room. There was some clattering and then Kurt was back with a wooden box in his hands.

"Look," he said as he dropped to his knees again and opened the box. It was full of keys. "They make excellent accessories," Kurt insisted as he rummaged through the pile. He extracted a large, old-fashioned key and tried it in the lock without success. He set the key aside and rummaged for another before simply dumping the whole box. "Help me look?"

Blaine set to work sorting out the most likely prospects and returning the others to their container while Kurt tried opening the lock. There were only three keys left when Blaine offered to go ask Carole for a screwdriver.

"No, wait," Kurt put a hand on his leg. "I think…" He wiggled the key and made a face as he tried turning it again. "It's almost…" Blaine reached over and put his hand over Kurt's helping him turn the key. The lock was rusty with age but finally they were able to turn the key and the lock gave with a satisfying clunk. Blaine quickly gathered the rest of the keys and set the box aside while Kurt cautiously lifted the lid.

There was no squeal this time, just a sharp intake of breath so intense that it left Blaine lightheaded just from hearing it. Or perhaps it was some of his own wonder and excitement shining through as the hint of cloth and the scent of a mysterious past enticed them.

"Help me lift it?" Kurt asked, pulling his hand back from where it hovered over the heavy cloth concealing one side of the trunk. Blaine didn't know much about steamer trunks, but this was similar to one he'd seen in a movie - rectangular, and meant to stand on end with a series on drawers on the right and a cloth on the left, probably concealing a bar for hanging clothes. They righted the trunk, then looked at each other, grinning.

"Right or left?" Kurt asked, clearly unwilling to choose although his hands had drifted towards the left as soon as the trunk had been opened. Blaine made the decision for him.

Kurt knelt again, completely absorbed. Blaine was vaguely aware that Carole and Finn were probably watching from another room, but he was glad they were allowing them some semblance of privacy. He had an undeniable need to kiss Kurt right now.

"Mmm," Kurt mumbled when they finally separated. He rested his head against Blaine's shoulder for a moment before pulling away. He turned back, cheeks pink, and asked, "Help me?"

Blaine leaned forward, working the fasteners on one side of the cloth-covered trunk compartment, while Kurt worked the others. When the cloth was loose, they lifted it together on a silent count of three.

By unspoken agreement, one hanging garment would be removed at a time. Blaine stood so Kurt could hand the first item up to him and together they examined the black cloak. It was heavy, probably wool, with a silky lining. Kurt ran his fingers over it delicately, feeling the fine material and the expert construction. Blaine wondered if it had been custom made.

"Try it on," Kurt urged, his voice low with a note of desire. Blaine didn't have to be asked twice.

It felt lighter on than it had on the hanger. The wool was soft, and the silk was cool against his skin. Blaine could feel Kurt's breath against his neck as deft fingers settled the cloak into place and smoothed the fabric.

"It suits you," Kurt told him as he motioned for Blaine to turn around. Kurt's hands were light on Blaine's shoulders and he was standing close enough that Blaine could hear him breathing. It required just a small movement and they were kissing again, bodies pressed close and the cloak encircling them both.

They didn't speak when they separated; there was no need to. Kurt simply leaned down, ignoring the awkward angle, and extracted the next garment from the trunk.

It was a frock coat and it fit Kurt like it had been made for him.

"You look like you stepped off a movie set," Blaine told him, taking his turn to fuss unnecessarily. He made Kurt turn and do his runway strut across the room and back, taking the moment to reach down and pick up the gold bow.

"What are you doing with that?" Kurt eyed the bow warily, Blaine's smile giving away his intent. With a smirk, Kurt turned on his heel and dashed for the other side of the room with Blaine close behind. They kept up the chase for a few minutes, laughing, until their desire for each other's touch won out and the went back to kissing.

Or at least they did until Blaine stuck the bow in Kurt's hair.

"You," he growled as he wrestled Blaine down. The bow was hanging on, lopsided, and Blaine's cloak was askew. They lay in a pile, silly and breathless, until they caught the murmur of low voices from the kitchen.

"Dad's home," Kurt whispered, taking Blaine's momentary wide-eyed panic as payback for the bow in his hair. With a laugh he rolled over and onto his knees, pulling Blaine up beside him and drawing his attention to one of the small drawers in the trunk.

"Look," he said brightly, picking up a small tin. "Hair cement."

"My favorite brand," Blaine teased, leaning over and bumping Kurt's shoulder with his own. He made a ridiculous face and the two of them burst out laughing.

Kurt slipped the tin into the nearest pocket of Blaine's cloak and gave it a pat. Blaine countered by taking the bow out of Kurt's hair and tucking it part-way into the breast pocket of Kurt's coat. Their eyes met and they smiled.

Behind them was the soft, familiar clink of china and silverware as the table was set. In front of them was a trunk full of treasures from the past. And in the center they sat, hands entwined, looking at each other and the future.

::end::


End file.
